Control system for electric motors.



No. 803,209. PATENTBD OCT. 31, 1905. R. E. BATES. CONTRCL SYSTEM POR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1905.

w/fnesses /m/enof' Hm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH E. BATES, OF l/VILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNCR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CCR- PCRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

No. 803,2o9.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application led February 1, 1905. Serial No. 243,730.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RALPH E. BATES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident or' VVillzinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Systems for Electric Motors,(Case No. 1,375,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to control systems for electric motors, and particularly to control systems for electric motors that are employed for operating the steering-gears of ships and similar mechanisms.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of control by means of which the amount and direction of movement of devices operated by motors may be accurately predetermined and governed.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing illustrates a system embodying my invention. An electric motor C is connected by gearing C' or otherwise to a shaft D, that may be the rudder-post of the steering-gear of a ship or the shaft or movable part ot' any other mechanism the movement ot' which is to be controlled. The circuit of the motor C is governed,primaril y,b y a master-controller A,that comprises two sets of relatively movable contact members, here shown as annnlarly-curved segments G', G2, G2, G2, G2, G2, G7, GS, G2, G10, G11, G12, and G13 and as brushes M, M', and M2, respectively. Movement of the conducting-segments G' G2, &c., may be effected by a pilot-wheel A' or by any other suitable manually or automatically operated means, and movement of the brushes M, M', and M2, which are adapted to engage said segments, may be eiected by means ot' a motor N, that is geared or otherwise suitably connected to the arm R that carries the said brushes.

A second controlling device K is connected by any suitable means, such as a belt P, with controller A, so as to operate simultaneously therewith, and comprises conducting-sectors I and l', a smaller conductingsegment I2, which is located between the sectors I and I', and a plurality of contact-terminals J, that are adapted to engage the said conducting-sectors and segment. The conducting-segment I2 is insulated from the sectors I and I' and is of such width that it may engage only one of the contact-terminals J at any one time.

Contact-terminals J are connected,by means of conductors H, to the respective contact-terminals G of a third controller L, the arm E ot' which is operatively connected to the controlled member D and carries a brush F', that is adapted to engage the contact-terminals G and connect them with a conducting-sector F, which is connected to one terminal oi' the field magnet winding of the motor C, the other terminal of said winding being connected to distributing-conductor Q2.

When the system is in the condition shown in the drawing, none of the electrical circuits are complete, and consequently the motor and its connected devices remain at rest, the devices being shown in mid-position. If, however, the pilot-wheel A' is moved in a clockwise direction,the brushes M,M',and lV 2 are brought into engagement with the corresponding conducting-segments G' to G'5 and G12, and controller K is also moved an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of the controller A. A circuit is then established from distributing-conductor Q, through conducting-segment G', resistance B, brush M, conductingsegment G2, the armature of the motor C, conducting-segment G3, brush M', cond noting-sector I, the central contact-terminal J, contactterminal G2, brush F', conducting-segment F, and the held-magnet winding of motor C, to distributing-conductor Q2. The motor C then rotates the rudder-post D in a contra-clockwise direction, thereby moving the brush F' over contact-terminals G. Vhen brush F' is brought into engagement with the contactterminal G, that is connected to the terminal J, which engages the conducting-segment I2, the circuit of the motor C is interrupted and a circuit is then established from distributing-conductor Q, through resistance B, brush M, conducting-segment G2, the field-magnet winding of motor N, conducting-segment G2, brush M', conducting-segment G5, the armature-Winding of motor N, conducting-segment G, brush M2, conducting-segment G12, conducting-segment I2, one oi' the contact-terminals J, one oi' the contact-terminals G, brush F', conducting-segment F, and the field-magnet winding of motor C, to conductor Q2. The motor N is thus set in operation and causes IOO the arm R, that carries the brushes M, M', and M2, to move in adireetion that will ultimately cause the said brushes to become disengaged from their corresponding conductingsegments. This following-up motion of the arm that carries the brushes M, M', and M2 is provided for the purpose of avoiding any delay that would otherwise occur between successive operations of the controller. The tendency of this arrangement is to always maintain the controller in its "olw position.

If the controller A is moved such a degree that the brush M is moved beyond all of the contact-terminals that are connected with the resistance B, the brush l 2 is then brought into engagement with conducting-segment G7 and a circuit is then immediately established through the motor N, since the conductingsegment G7 is connected directly to the distributing-conductor Q2. As a result the motor N is immediately set into operation, and the followingup motion oi' the arm R, that carries the brushes M, M', and M2, continues until the brush M2 no longer engages conducting-segment G7. The remainder of the followingup motion is dependent upon the rotation of the rudder-post D, that carries the brush F.

It will be understood withoutv specific description that movement of the pilot-wheel A' contra-clockwise will bring the resistance B and the segments G', G, G10, Gu, G5, G, and G13 into service and that the directions of motion of the motors C and N will be the reverse oi' those just described. ln other respects the operation of the system will be the same.

While l have shown the controller A as being of a specific type, it will be readily seen that it may assume any other form and dimensions than those here shown, and I desire it to be understood that the details of construction and arrangement may be further varied within wide limits withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention.

l claim as my inventionyl. The combination with a source of electrical energy, a motor, and a controlled member, oi' a controller for said motor having two sets of movable conducting-segments that are adapted to engage each other, a second controller operated simultaneously with the first, comprising a plurality of terminal pieces, conducting-segments adapted to engage a plurality of said terminal pieces, and another conducting-segment adapted to engage a single terminal piece, a third controller that comprises terminal pieces that are connected respectively to the aforesaid terminal pieces, and means operated by the said controlled member for making circuit connections to said terminals, and a motor for operating one set of the conducting-segments or' the first controller.

2. The combination with a source of electrical energy, a motor, and a controlled member, of a controller comprising two sets of relatively movable conducting-segments that are adapted to engage each other, asecond controller that is operated by the movement of one set of the movable conducting-segments of the lirst controller, comprising a plu-` rality of contact-terminals, conducting-segments that may engage a plurality oi' said terminals, and a conducting-segment that may engag'e only one oi' said terminals at a time, a third controller comprising a plurality of contact-terminals that are respectively connected to the contact-terminals of the second controller, and means operated by the said controlled member for making' circuit connections to said contact-terminals, and means for moving one set oi' conducting-segments of the irst controller out of engagement with the other set when circuit connection is made with a contact-terminal of the third controller that corresponds to the contact-terminal oi' the second controller which is in engagement with the Smallest conducting-segment thereof.

3. The combination with an electrical-supply circuit, a motor, and a governed member, of a controller comprising one or more manually-operative condnoting-segments and one or more automatically-operative conductingsegments, a second controller that is moved by and in proportion to the extent of movement of the manually-operative conductingsegments, and a third controller that is operated by the governed member and in proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller.

4. The combination with an electrical-supply eircuit, a motor, and a governed member, of a controller comprising one or more manually-operative conducting-segments and one or more automatically-operative conductingsegments, a second controller that is moved by and in proportion to the extent ot' movement of the manually-operative conductingsegments, a third controller that is operated by the governed member and in proportion to the extent of movement oi' the second controller, and means for causing operation of the automatically-operative conducting-segments when the third controller has been moved in proportion to the extent oi' movement of the second controller.

5. The combination with an electrical-supply circuit, a motor, and a governed member, of a controller comprising one or more manumally-operative conducting-segments and one or more automatically-operative conductingsegments, a second controller that is moved by and in proportion to the extent of movement of the manually-operative conductingsegments, a third controller that is operated by the governed member and in proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller, means for causing operation oi` the automatically-operative conducting-segments when the third controller has been moved in IOO proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller, and means for causing similar operation of the automatically-operative conducting-segments when the manually-operative conducting-segments have been moved more than a predetermined amount.

6. The combination with an electrical-supply circuit, a motor and a governed member, of a controller comprising one or more manually-operative conducting-segments, one or more other conducting-segments adapted to engage therewith, a second motor for elfecting movement thereof, a second controller that is moved by and in proportion to the extent of movement of the manually-operative conducting-segments, and a third controller that is operated by the governed member and in proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller.

7. The combination with an electrical-supply circuit, a motor and a governed member, of a controller comprising one or more manually-operative conducting-segments, one or more other conductingesegments adapted to engage therewith, a second motor for effecting movement thereof, a second controller that is moved by and in proportion to the extent of movement of the manually-operative conducting-segments, a third controller that is operated by the governed member and in proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller, and means for causing operation of the second motor and the corresponding conducting-segments when the third controller has been moved in proportion to vthe extent of movement of the second controller.

8. The combination with an electrical-supply circuit, a motor and a governed member, of a controller comprising one or more manually-operative conducting-segments, one or more other conducting-segments adapted to engage therewith, a second motor for effecting movement thereof, a second controller that is moved by and in proportion to the extent of movement of the manually-operative conducting-segments, a third controller that is operated by the governed member and in proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller, means for causing operation of the second motor and the corresponding conducting-segments when the third controller has been moved in proportion to the extent of movement of the second controller, and means for effecting similar operation of the said motor when the manually-operative conducting-segments have been moved more than a predetermined amount.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of January, 1905.

RALPH E. BATES.

Witnesses:

OTTO S. SCHAIRER, BIRNEY HINEs. 

